Peter Woodhams Carer Carers in Partnership Chair – Meriden Advisory Group

1. Peter Woodhams Carer Carers in Partnership Chair – Meriden Advisory Group

2. Involving Families in Social Inclusion BFT Trainers Refresher Day 5 July 2005

3. Why it is Important to Involve Families in Social Inclusion • Personal perspectives • Part of the care plan which carers should be a party to • However good the support team, the family often provides the continuity • The motivation of the family • The family’s role in implementation

4. The Significance of BFT in Helping Families to Contribute to Social Inclusion Plans • Creates the framework for discussion • Helps facilitate the identification of targets • The relevance of the total family work model to social inclusion • Should provide a really practical way for family members to contribute to the care plan/recovery in a positive way

5. The Significance of BFT in Helping Families to Contribute to Social Inclusion Plans (…cont’d) • If the above can be achieved the family members will feel good about their efforts • BFT is not forever but perhaps the skills and knowledge can be embedded with the family • Importance of helping families to run their own family meetings

6. Personal Positive and Negative Experiences POSITIVES • Reviewing achievements • Assessing potential activities • Planning a holiday/short break • Addressing practical day to day issues • Discussing ‘work’/vocational targets

7. Personal Positive and Negative Experiences (…cont’d) NEGATIVES • Using negative language • Being over ambitious/setting unrealistic targets • Showing disappointment over failures • Creating stress

8. What Skills Does BFT Offer That Can Enhance the Social Inclusion Agenda at a Family Level • Development of a positive approach to provide encouragement • Enables discussions to be facilitated more effectively • Provides a practical approach to problem solving • Helps to develop a supportive and caring approach within the family

9. What Skills Does BFT Offer That Can Enhance the Social Inclusion Agenda at a Family Level (…cont’d) • Encourages family members to be more pro-active in following actions through including investigating/researching • Helps to build/re-build relationship within the family • Enables families to acquire skills to help them run family meetings to review progress and achievements

10. What Aspects of Social Inclusion Can the Development of These Skills Help Facilitate • Voluntary Work • Employment • Building social networks • Accessing services • Personal hygiene • Learning new skills/education • Developing personal confidence • Raising self esteem/lowering stigma • Moving towards self management

11. Final Messages • Please remember that by and large families want to and can help individual social inclusion agendas • BFT can help this agenda at a family level • Encourage the development of family meeting skills particularly when BFT sessions are nearing conclusion • Above all please try and ensure that all your therapists have a full case load of family work projects so that as many families as possible can benefit from BFT in your locality